Lessons in Seduction (Or, I-it's not what you think, Aoshi-sama-a!)
by Always RuroKen
Summary: How could Misao put it into words? 'I'm a ninja and I know how to fight stuff and get disguised and sneak around and pretty much everything – except for the seduction (which I could? possibly? use on Aoshi-sama).' No. She could put it into words but she couldn't say it out loud.
1. Chapter 1

How could Misao put it into words? ' _I'm a ninja and I know how to fight stuff and get disguised and sneak around and pretty much everything – except for the seduction (which I could? possibly? use on Aoshi-sama)._ ' No. She _could_ put it into words but she couldn't say it out loud. Who could she ask? Omasu? Okon? They'd laugh.

So, this called for library perusing. The Aoiya had a rather large library within which could be found a diverse collection. Poetry books, novels, history, geography, old ninja techniques… Pretty much anything. (Misao had been unfortunate enough to find a badly-hidden Edo-period sex manual. Thankfully, she only opened it to the front page, without perusing any of the vividly-illustrated contents.)

At two hours past bedtime, Misao crept into the dark library, lighting a lantern and setting it on the floor as she began to look through the shelves. Oh, there was that sex manual. She set it aside, slightly curious. She looked some more. Aha! Something that looked about right. ' _Kunoichi – The Temptresses of the Ninja World_ '.

Pulling a few more books on 'Ninja Training', she sat cross-legged on the floor and began to look through them. The first was more of a weapons manual, the second a bunch of myths and legends about ninja and their origins. Misao snorted. '… _It has been said that ninja can shift appearance from male to female and from human to animal. We cannot substantiate these claims, but pretty much everything in this book is pure speculation (read: utter bullshit and drivel) and they can do pretty much everything else – so why not, huh? Nobody's going to read this far into the book anyway – so I'm just going to write all sorts of stuff in here. Frogs are actually a type of blowfish. If you rub onions on your face and dance naked on top of Mount Ueno at midnight, all your problems will be solved…_ ' "This guy definitely wasn't paid enough." She shook her head, laughing a bit.

After reading a few more bogus stories about the prowess of ninja, Misao picked up another book which gave detailed diagrams of how to break into castles and walk on water. Finally, she picked up ' _Kunoichi – The Temptress of the Ninja World_ '. She hoped it wasn't an erotic novel but an actual textbook. She was disappointed. The inside of the front cover had an almost naked woman on it, a few strategically-placed pieces of fabric covering her. The first page all through to the tenth page were also semi-erotic pictures of the same woman. Misao flipped through them until she hit something that looked like words. ' _Chapter one. Akiko rode a horse and her breasts were bouncing very much. She slipped off the horse and the bottom of her kimono got stuck, causing it to fall off. Then she fought some people in the buff-_ ' "What the hell is this shit?" Muttered Misao. "I wanna punch the guy who actually let this be published."

She clicked her tongue. Idly, she picked up the sex guide and flipped through it. The book fell open to a page. What Misao saw on that page made her clap her hands to her mouth and jump back. "Oh my god, what the _fuck_ is that?!" she exclaimed. "…That's not what it looks like, right?" She gagged. "I hope to _god_ that's not how it works…"

There was the clearing of a throat behind her and Misao spun around, her face red. Aoshi must've entered the library silently and was standing behind her, looking confused and slightly amused. "Aoshi-sama!" To put it simply and succinctly, Misao's thoughts went like this: ' _Oh shit_ '.

He gestured to the pile of books and the horrifying erotic picture on the floor. "May I ask…?"

Misao put her hands up. "I-it's n-not what you think it is!" she exclaimed.

"And what is it that I am thinking?" he asked, raising an amused eyebrow. He was laughing at her, wasn't he.

"Whatever you're thinking – it's wrong! T-this is research." She stood up. "Research." She repeated more firmly.

"Hm." He nodded slowly and peered past her at the manual, still laying open on the floor and raised both eyebrows. "Before you do your research…" he said. "You should check your sources."

"H-huh?" Misao's face reddened further and she dove to close the book.

"To answer your questions from before – that is a drawing done by someone with an overactive imagination, which is not at all what looks like in real life – any of it, and no – that is not how it works. Nobody is that flexible without having their spine and a few other bones broken." He turned around to leave. Misao did not imagine the note of pure amusement in his voice. "Good luck with your… Research."

Misao covered her face with her hands. "So… _Embarrassing_ …" she groaned.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Misao spoke to Okon, as if by the way. "Hey Okon-san?" she asked as she scrubbed at a pan.

"Yes?"

"Do you know a book in the library that I can read about ninja techniques? _All_ of them. Not missing anything out." She tried subtlety – hoping that it would work.

Okon shrugged, opening a window in the steaming, smoking kitchen. "I'm sure if you dig around in there, you'll find something. You could ask Aoshi-sama, he's probably read every book in there-"

"No!" yelped Misao. "N-not him! I-I can't show my face anymore-"

Laughing slightly at the reaction, Okon looked curiously at Misao, continuing to stir the rice. "Why not, Misao-chan?"

Misao blushed, covering her face. "Bloody embarrassing- Research- Aoshi-sama misinterpreted… Oh god…"

"What was that?" Okon laughed. "Sounds like you had an adventure."

Misao sighed. "As if. I completely got embarrassed in front of Aoshi-sama." She looked away and began to recount the events of last night. By then, Omasu had entered the kitchen and listened in. "And then he says, 'Good luck with your research'!" Misao groaned. "And there's this _pause_ before he says 'research'." She looked up at Okon and Omasu – who were trying their hardest not to break into laughter.

"Is that so?" managed Omasu. "That's very-" she couldn't suppress a snort.

Okon tried to nod sympathetically while biting down on her lip.

"Tch. I wouldn't've told you if you guys were just gonna be all unsympathetic." Misao pouted, beginning to scrub the pan with renewed fervor.

Patting her shoulder, Omasu shook her head. "Oh, Misao-chan… We're not laughing at you or your misfortune – _much_. It's just rather refreshing to know that Aoshi-sama has a sense of humor, you know? You could take it as him giving you advice."

"That's the last thing I want him giving me advice about!" Misao exclaimed, her face red.

Mischievously, Okon patted Misao's other shoulder, beginning to whisper in her ear, leering. "Oh, come _on_. We _all_ know you wouldn't mind some _practical, first-hand_ advice on that sort of thing from our favorite Okashira…!"

"H-hey! T-that's-!" her face reddened and she shut her eyes, waving her hands.

None of them heard the kitchen door sliding open, then sliding shut and someone entering – ' _someone_ ' being Aoshi himself. "…Practical, first-hand advice on what from me?"

Okon and Omasu whipped around and began to laugh out loud, Misao however didn't turn at all. "Ohh why-y?! Why does the universe hate me?!" She muttered, clutching at her blushing face. Through their laughter, Okon and Omasu began to whisper to each other, exchanging looks and glancing from Misao to Aoshi and back again. Aoshi began to stir the abandoned sizzling rice and Misao peeked through cracks in her fingers at Aoshi. "It's not what you think it is…!" she groaned.

"How is it that you always seem to know what I am thinking – then tell me I am wrong?" Aoshi asked mildly.

Omasu began to tiptoe out of the kitchen, Okon following right after. "I-I'm working to be a better ninja! I've got hand-to-hand combat down, I'm still learning the sneaking around bit but I'm definitely improving – I'd say I'm pretty good with disguises – but there's a bit I know nothing about – so I just took some initiative and went to the library to research and grabbed everything that looked sort of… Y'know…" Misao took a breath. "I-it's not like…"

"Ah." He said. "I see." Aoshi nodded. "Try the second bookshelf on the left. Towards the back of the library. It'll be somewhere between all the recipes for poison."

"O-oh." Misao stammered. "U-um… T-thanks." Her face red, she began to scrub the almost mirror-like surface of the frying pan.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, two hours past her bedtime, Misao snuck into the library with a dimmed lantern. "Second bookshelf on the left, towards the back of the library." She repeated to herself. "Somewhere in between all the recipes for poison…" She reached the correct shelf and set her lantern down on the floor, deftly searching through the numerous poison recipes. That was a lot of poison. But somewhere in there…

As she sorted through a sheaf of paralysis poisons – not deadly, her hand hit a book and she pulled it out, hoping that it was the right one. It was not as garish as ' _Kunoichi – The Temptress of the Ninja World_ ' and the inside had very diagrammatic illustrations and lots of words. Misao sat down on the cold floor and began to flip through it by the light of the lantern. ' _...Clumsiness, if done correctly, is appealing to most. A slight stumble, a flash of cleavage and the wafting scent of perfume (apply to side of neck) can go a long way (no pun intended)…_ ' Misao nodded as she read. Okay, this seemed pretty good so far. Except for the cleavage part. Where was she supposed to get that?

' _...It largely depends on the target whether to make the first move, or let him go for it. If the target is shy and/or inexperienced – one will have to be more aggressive. If the target is more proactive, however, one only needs to drive him mad with 'unintentional' sex appeal, until he snaps and goes for you. 'Accidental' wardrobe malfunctions (exposure of legs, cleavage, etc.), if executed properly could work…_ ' Whoa, alright – the 'How to Get a Guy into One's Bed Seminar' was starting for real. Misao blushed at the idea of falling into Aoshi's lap with unintentional clumsiness.

A diagram a few pages down showed a back massage that could easily turn into something more and the points one should hit for ' _better results_ '. Misao had to hand it to the person who wrote the book. They had to have done a lot of extensive research to compile all of it like that. ' _…Innocence – wide eyes, pink cheeks and seeming ignorance of what one is doing during the seduction is a double-edged sword. One must be a good actress for this._ ' Misao shook her head. "I know jack all about anything so I won't even have to act…" she muttered.

' _Avoid his eyes when he gets closer to you, if something is 'frightening' or 'exciting' – one should press oneself to him, preferably getting your breasts as a cushion between…_ ' Misao looked down at her own chest. Well damn it. "Damn you. Damn you and your boobs." She told the book.

' _…Being aware of one's laugh is a must. One must not sound like a horse, nor must one sound like one is faking it. Cover the mouth either with a hand or sleeve and put more breath into an ultra-feminine giggle. Make sure that when you laugh you lean forward slightly, exposing just the slightest bit of cleavage…_ ' Misao nodded sagely. She could do not sounding like a horse. The 'ultra-feminine giggle' though, not so much. Would this person just _stop_ with the cleavage? Misao hadn't found the thing she wanted to and flipped to the back of the book for a glossary. "Where's the one for – 'if you're really short and skinny'?" she wondered out loud. All she could find, however was, 'cross-dressing'. "That's a little unfair, don't you think?" She muttered. "Ugh, you and your cleavage."

She flipped through the book once more, not noticing the lantern running low. Finally, she came to a drawing inside the book that was not in the stylized Japanese-style but realistic. The picture was of a man and a woman, the first with his back to the viewer, the woman's hands digging into his shoulders. He seemed to be stiffening, burying his face in the crook of her neck. The woman stared straight at the viewer, smiling slightly, seeming bored, her hair down and unabashedly naked, long white legs wrapped around him. Misao blushed and had the urge to say, 'excuse me', as she quickly flipped to the next page. "What is this, huh? A test of courage?" she hissed at the book. "Stop bloody embarrassing me!"

Then the light of the lantern went out and Misao was in the dark. She swore under her breath, waiting for her eyes to get accustomed to the dark. She stood up, tucking the book under her arm and began to quietly walk forward. Her right knee hit a bookshelf. "Fu-uck." She gritted through her teeth. She moved slightly to the left and continued walking, until she hit something else. What was this something? As she ran her hand up it, she realized that it was not, in fact, another bookshelf. It was something which felt nothing like a bookshelf. Unless bookshelves had muscles covered in cloth (and damn those muscles were fine)- Something was a some _one_.

Her wrist was caught before she could explore any more of Aoshi's chest. "I think a 'good morning' would be in order." He said, the amusement in his tone obvious.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Misao laughed nervously. "Ha-ha, is it morning already?"

"Technically." He said, letting go of her wrist.

Her eyes getting more and more accustomed to the dark, she looked away from Aoshi. "I thought you were a bookshelf." She said lamely.

He said nothing.

She laughed nervously again, her face reddening. "Ha-ha, how dumb of me. I bumped into a bookshelf before so… Yeah."

"I saw. You should wait until your eyes get accustomed to the darkness." He said gently.

"Y-you saw? H-how long have you been here for, Aoshi-sama?" Misao asked, suddenly getting a very bad feeling…

"Ever since you started damning the book." He said. "I was going to tell you that it was late and that you should sleep, but seeing how concentrated you were, I decided not to disturb you and do some reading of my own."

Misao covered her face. "I just wonder…" she said. "Why is it that you appear at the least opportune moment for me, Aoshi-sama?" she asked, about to give up all explanations.

In the dark, he seemed to smile. "Why indeed."


	4. Chapter 4

Misao stood in front of the mirror, looking from herself, to the book in her hand. "Okay, so…" she muttered to herself. "Slightly trip – then against the arm sort of… Right…" She glanced at herself then at the book, then tried to gracefully trip, while dropping down, as if she was steadying herself on someone's shoulder – while also giving them a great view down her top – plus perfume on the side of the neck. Pretty complicated stuff, but Misao was determined to try.

In theory, it would've worked. Instead, she rolled her ankle slightly, dropped the book and fell sideways, heavily onto the floor. "Shit, I hope no-one heard that." She muttered to herself and stood up, rubbing at her leg. "Owww… So – okay – that was wrong. Maybe…" she thought a while. "Not as sharply?" About to try it a again, she got ready, but there was a knock on her door.

She ran to open it, then blushed and quickly hid the book behind her back as she saw who it was. "Oh, hey, Aoshi-sama!"

"I heard something fall."

"Uh… That was…" she winced. "That was me. I fell. But like – on purpose. I'm okay, honestly."

He caught sight of her hiding something behind her back and peered over her shoulder. "…I see." He said. "Studying by application?"

Her laugh was slightly shaky. "Something like that."

"Do not let me disturb you." Aoshi nodded and turned. For a moment, he paused, his hand hovering over the shoji, about to close it. "Allow me to offer some advice. Unlike most things you have studied…" he said. "This… Is not as violent as martial arts. Slamming yourself into the floor will not prove useful – I do not think." Nodding at her, he added – "I… Wish you luck." He cleared his throat and left.

Misao covered her blushing face. Slammed into the floor… What did he _think_ she was doing?! "You've got it absolutely _wrong_ Aoshi-sama!" she yelled, then covered her face. She returned to 'studying' with a red face and an even larger determination. However, as she tried to repeat the falling – cute clumsiness thing (she had laid out a futon so she wouldn't seem as loud) she kept getting distracted by thoughts of Aoshi.

She decided to stop practicing for the time being and get some fresh air in the garden. She sat in the grass, leaning her head back against the fence and drew her knees to her chest. Did Aoshi find clumsiness cute and sexy? (Misao sure didn't think so – didn't he value precision?) Did he find innocence cute and sexy? (By 'innocence' meaning – 'knowing nothing about anything'.) What _did_ he find cute and sexy? What if… What if he only liked tall, mature-looking and acting women that were the opposite of Misao in every way possible?! What if he didn't like all the qualities that she had, like-…

What qualities _did_ she have, exactly? That thought gave her pause.

Misao frowned and sat down, beginning to list on her fingers. "One – martial arts. Two – cheerfulness. Three…" she paused. "My hair? It's long…" she shrugged, holding up the end of her braid and looking at it critically. "Four – I'm flexible?" she blushed as she thought further down that alley. "Uh, okay no – five… Five… I'm kinda strong, I guess?" she looked at her bicep and poked it. "Huh. Six… Six?" She put her hands over her face and leaned backwards with a frustrated sigh and a thump of her head against wood. "Ah - damn it! With this I'm gonna get nowhere!"

"Six – you remain completely unaware of your surroundings – which is oddly endearing."

With a start, she looked up and saw Aoshi standing beside her, leaning against the fence, his arms crossed. "A-Aoshi-sama?"

He glanced down at her. "Seven – you are uncharacteristically modest." She could've sworn, he smiled slightly. "It's rush hour down at the restaurant – your assistance is required." With that, he was gone.

All Misao could think as she shot up from her sitting position with a ' _Yup – on it_!' was – ' _oddly endearing_ '? What was _that_ supposed to mean?!


	5. Chapter 5

Up to her elbows in soapy water and scrubbing furiously at a sheet, Misao crouched outside. It was a hot, sunny day and Misao was glad that the washing water was cold – giving her some sort of recourse against the humid weather. Having thought of Aoshi's enigmatic words all day and all night – she had still found no solution to the riddle that was the words ' _oddly endearing_ '. So when Okon decided to join Misao outside with more laundry, Misao almost pounced on her. Subtly.

"Okon- _sa_ -an?" she asked, slightly wheedling.

Getting ready for whatever was supposed to come next, Okon readied herself, taking a deep breath and turning to Misao. "What's up, Misao-chan?" she asked.

Misao bit her lip. "So if… Someone says something I do is… Uh, ' _oddly endearing_ ' – what does that mean?"

"Hm. Really…" Okon swallowed down a laugh. "…Ah, I see." She took her time answering, slowly scrubbing at the pillowcase she was currently ministering to. "…'Oddly endearing' was it?"

"Yeah!" Misao anxiously nodded, her hands stilling in the laundry-water.

Nodding wisely, Okon remained silent, a smug smile making its' way onto her face. "…And _who_ exactly said his to you?" she asked. "Context matters, you know." By her face it was obvious she knew, but Misao told her anyway. Okon received this with a theatrical surprise and Misao glared at her. Finally, the mischievous woman relented.

"Okon-sa-an! What does it _mean_? Endearing... Sure I _kind_ of get that – but not coming from _him_ – and _oddly_? Why oddly?"

"…He means you're cute and he doesn't know how to deal with it." Okon said. "…I think."

Misao fell on her backside with wide eyes, sending up a splash of soapy water. "He thinks I'm cute…" she repeated slowly. "He thinks I'm cute…!" she punched the air. "Hell yeah! I _am_ damn cute – and Aoshi-sama finally noticed!"

Patiently nodding, Okon hid a smile at the dopey grin that unfolded itself across Misao's face and the new shine to her wide sea-colored eyes. "Now let's get this finished up before next week, alright?"

"Yup!" The energy with which Misao attacked the laundry was rivalled only by the massive grin she had on her face. She practically _danced_ though all her chores – serving meals at the restaurant with an infectious grin and humming to herself as she hung up white sheets in the warm breeze that did not seem that stifling anymore. And then – as if it had been only a few minutes and not half a day – it was afternoon.

With a singing heart, Misao ascended the stairs balancing teacup, teapot, whisk among other things – as she always did – stopping before Aoshi's room. And as always, he told her to come in before she even knocked. "Afternoon, Aoshi-sama!" she trilled. "Tea's up!"

He nodded. "Thank you." He looked up at her as she set the tray on his desk. "You seem rather excited." He noted.

She grinned at that. "Yup! I sure am…!" He raised an eyebrow as she poured tea into his cup but did not ask her – for he did not need to. Misao simply winked at him. "And I'm not telling you why!" she sang.

"…Is that so." He raised the cup to his lips as she sat back and looked up at him – her bright smile not showing any sign of disappearing off her face. It seemed like an age before he spoke again, and to Misao's surprise, it seemed as if he was _curious_. Of course, it couldn't be – but she liked the look of it, anyway. "…May I take the liberty of guessing?"

"Uh- Yeah!" Misao grinned. "You aren't gonna guess though…!" she sang.

"I may surprise you." He said quietly. "…Have you achieved something?" he asked, slightly louder.

"…Uh, without realizing it, I guess." Misao smiled. "It's less of an achievement and more like a… _Development_ – a positive one… Or might lead in a positive direction, yeah?" her face reddened as she spoke and she became unable to look into his eyes. "Ahhh… Actually… It's kind of dumb… Forget it, please."

His eyes seemed to soften, or was it the sunlight streaming in though the shoji? "Anything that has made you this happy – it couldn't be 'kind of dumb'."

"You'd be surprised, Aoshi-sama." She muttered.

"I'm sure I would be." He said, then cleared his throat, beginning to sift through the papers on his desk.

There was soft, comfortable silence during which Misao couldn't hide her smile as she leaned back with closed eyes. This room, with its refined, neat appearance had warmed up with the bright, golden afternoon light. Dust motes swirled by the open window, the smooth rustling of an ink-filled brush sliding over paper and rustle of leaves outside from the warm breeze the only sounds. Misao didn't really like silence, because it seemed empty and useless. But if silence was like this, then she could definitely stand more of it – as long as he stayed by Aoshi's side.

She opened her eyes again, only to find Aoshi looking at her, over the top of a book. Had he been watching her, looking at her? About to ask him if there was something on her face, or something in that vein – his eyes flicked down to his book, then up at her again. "…I was wondering if you had fallen asleep." He said, slightly stiffly.

Misao smiled. "I could. There's something so… Peaceful, calm… Really _nice_ about this. I don't usually like it when it's too quiet but…" She vaguely gestured about herself. "It's because you're here, Aoshi-sama…!" she smiled. Then she had a double-take. As she realized what she just said, her cheeks lit up once more and she looked out the window, avoiding his eyes, which she was sure were full of amusement. "Oh – ha-ha! The afternoon is a wonderful time for cat-naps, isn't it!" But when she carefully looked at him to gauge his reaction, his eyes were simply full of an odd softness that she knew she was not imagining.

"You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish." He said with a nod, returning to perusing the sheaf of papers he was holding.

But it seemed as if Misao was not done embarrassing herself. "Do you think I'm cute?" she blurted suddenly – surprising even herself. There was a silence. Aoshi slowly adjusted his papers, not looking at her, then softly set them down on his desk, perfectly aligned.

Her face reddening even further, Misao jumped up. "Ah! Uh! No! That wasn't-! I-I mean- _Damn._ " she put a hand over her mouth. "I-I'll be going now…" She said slightly more quietly, trying to awkwardly smile, turning her back and sliding the door open.

Just as she was outside, sliding his door shut, there was a slight clearing of the throat and a few quiet words. "…If your question still stands, I could offer an answer."

"H-huh?" the slight gasp was out before she could stop it.

There was a slight silence and Misao peeked through the crack. Meeting her eyes, Aoshi gave her an affirmative nod, while still looking through his papers.


	6. Chapter 6

Misao lit a candle and opened the 'Seduction Manual' book to the first page, sitting cross-legged in front of her low table. She began to read thoroughly – intending to finish the book, cover-to-cover by morning. She rubbed her eyes when she got to 'Section Three – Double Meanings'. "Wow. I never knew that all of this could mean…" she brought a hand to her mouth, not sure whether to laugh or blush.

The book's constant mentions of cleavage as a 'weapon of attack' annoyed Misao. The authoress of the book may have been rather well-supplied in that area – but what about the women who weren't? In the end, would she have to stuff rice balls down her front to get Aoshi to notice her? But then… Ugh. Having rice stuck to- She shivered at the thought.

With time, she grew more skeptical of his words earlier. After all, Misao was self-aware enough to know she overthought things. But still… What if… Of _course_ he said yes! How else would he supposed to respond? He was a nice person – he wouldn't just say ' _hell no_ ' and leave it at that. And even if _he_ did mean it… _Cute_ didn't necessarily mean anything. Small animals were cute. Children were cute. Did Aoshi still see her as a child? She set the book aside with a sigh. "God damn it." She muttered, sighing again.

There was a knock at her door and she froze. "Who is it?" she hissed.

"Us, Misao-chan!" hissed Omasu back. "Okon's here too."

The two women didn't wait for a response on Misao's part and came into her room, sitting down. "We've decided…" Okon said.

"…To help you, actively." Omasu finished. "Your success is imperative."

"H-Hu-uh?!" Misao sat up and looked at them. "What the heck is this – all of a sudden?"

"Since you don't have the guts to ask Aoshi to, _ahem_ , 'teach' you – and go from there…" Okon started.

"…We're taking things into our own hands – and we're going to coach you." Omasu finished.

Misao blinked. "Have you guys practiced this?"

Laughing behind her hand, Omasu looked at Okon. "We're just in sync, Misao-chan. Because…"

"…We're thinking the same things at the speed of light and communicating telepathically." Finished Okon with a satisfied smile, crossing her arms.

Omasu looked at her. "That's not at all what I was thinking."

"Technicalities." Okon waved her hand and turned to Misao. "Basically, we're going to be giving you some lessons in seduction." She looked at the book. "This is a rudimentary outline of that subtle art-"

"Subtle?" Misao asked incredulously. "All the book ever talks about is ' _shove your boobs in his face and that'll do the trick_ '. …Well, I'm exaggerating, but…"

"Yes, well – that's not all there is to it." Okon said with a laugh.

Omasu sighed. "And really, you're severely underestimating your womanly endowment."

Misao clutched at her head and stood up. "Wait a moment. Wait, wait." She put her hands out as another delaying gesture. " _You_ two are going to… Train me – I get that. Why, though?" she asked. "That's the weird part."

"Ah – we're just…" Omasu trailed off.

"…Sick of the unresolved sexual tension and want you two not go around mooning after each other like teenagers. You're a grown-ass woman – he's a grown-ass man – just get it together already!" Okon said, clenching her fist, her voice rising as she got more and more carried away.

"…Well, there's _that_ – and it'd be a true comedic relief to see you both failing to comprehend what's happening." Omasu laughed behind her sleeve.

"Oh, Omasu, you're so honest!" Trilled Okon, laughing.

"Oh, Okon, you _do_ know me best!" The two women laughed and playfully batted at each other's shoulders for a while until they both turned to Misao with a glint in their eyes.

"Ready yourself Misao-chan." Okon said menacingly, pinching the wick of the candle – dowsing the room in darkness.

"We won't go easy on you." Omasu said, shaking her head.

"Oh no." Agreed Okon.

"Training begins tomorrow!" Omasu whisper-called as she shut the door to Misao's room.

"Try to get some sleep, Misao-chan!" Okon winked.

Then the door was closed and the two women were gone leaving a very confused Misao alone in the darkness of her room. "What the heck was that?" she asked the wall, a sense of foreboding washing over her.


	7. Chapter 7

Misao wasn't exactly sure how she had ended up in a cramped, locked closet with Aoshi – but it _had_ happened – and she wasn't sure if she was annoyed or overjoyed about it. She had just come back from breakfast and stepped into the hallway – looking for Omasu to tell her what her duties and chores were for the day. Then, she saw that the two women were talking to Aoshi, standing in front of an open, padlocked closet that Misao had not noticed before in the wall. It had always been there, unopened, she supposed.

She walked up to them and waited for them to be done, so she could talk to Omasu.

"We can't really reach it…" Okon was saying.

"Sorry for making you do this, Aoshi-sama, but we're not tall enough." Omasu nodded, looking apologetic.

He nodded, stepping in and looking up at the tall shelf. "It is fine." He said, turning towards them. "What exactly was it that-"

Then, somehow, Misao tripped. Later, she realized it was because someone had kicked her in the back of the knee, but at the time, it seemed as if it had just _happened_. Somehow, with her tripping, the door swung shut violently – that causing the padlock to somehow shut. Utter bullshit, really – but Misao was too surprised to think clearly.

After all, she had fallen forward directly onto Aoshi – letting out a less than dignified squawk as she did so. He caught her shoulders, backed up against the closet wall. He removed herself from him, blushing. "Oh s-sor-" She pulled back, with a half apology – half because as soon as she pulled back, her head hit the wooden closet door. "Oww shit…." She hissed, clutching at her head, almost falling forward onto Aoshi again. The space was so small.

There were the sounds of Omasu and Okon outside. "Goodness, Okon! This is quite a situation!"

"Indeed it is, Omasu! Aoshi-sama and Misao-chan locked inside that tiny closet!"

"What a thing to have happened!"

"How could have such a thing happened?!"

"Accidents do happen – how unfortunate!"

"Indeed!"

"I think we need to go look for a key!"

"Yes, indeed!"

"Where on earth could it be?!"

"I have no idea!"

"Let's look for it!"

"Yes, let's – what great Ideas you have, Omasu!"

"Oh, what flattery, Okon!"

There was a rap on the door. "We'll be back!" called Okon none too reassuringly.

The two women's voices got further and further away and Misao looked slowly up at Aoshi. The latter looked impassively down at her. His eyes were still a shocking blue, accentuated by the half-light of the closet and he shut them for a moment, taking a breath. "…Misao…" he said and his voice sounded strained.

Misao caught her breath. "Y-yes?"

He took another breath. "You…" he winced. "Your elbow."

Embarrassed, Misao moved back until her back was flat against the closet door, bending her arm so that her elbow was off Aoshi and down by her side. "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed. "This is a really dang small closet!" she shook her head. "God – I'm so clumsy – sorry Aoshi-sama! T-this isn't what you think-!"

He nodded. "I have a feeling that this came about through no fault of yours, Misao." He said in an undertone.

She looked curiously up at him, then remembered her late-night conversation with Omasu and Okon. "Those scheming…" she growled.

Aoshi sighed quietly. "They'll probably unlock it at some point."

Misao put her hands over her face, taking everything in. She was in a very small, cramped space – with Aoshi. Alone. They were _ridiculously_ close – if Misao turned slightly she would be completely pressed up against him and- That was a line of thought she should pursue when she was very much alone. Not with him right next to her, looking as apathetic as usual. She wondered if he even noticed the same things she was noticing. Was he just… _Chill_ with this?

Of course he was.

She peeked at him through her fingers and found him quickly glancing at her, then fixing his gaze back at the wall. The silence stretched and Misao found her mind wandering back down alleys which it honestly shouldn't have, especially with the subject _of_ her thoughts at such a close proximity to her. She shut her eyes really tight and slapped her cheeks with both hands. "Ugh…"

"What is it?" he looked at her curiously through his bangs.

She blushed. "I- Uh… That is…-"

Then they heard footsteps down the hallway and someone whistling. "That's Okina." Aoshi said under his breath.

Misao nodded about to bang on the wood with her fist. "We should get him to open the door-"

Aoshi quickly caught her wrist and put a hand over her mouth, the action bringing them even closer, Misao's back flush against his chest. His almost inaudible low voice by her ear sent shivers down her back. "I apologize – but we shall have to bear with this for a little longer." He took a breath. "We will never hear the end of this if he is the one to let us out." She looked up at him silently with wide eyes, unable to speak, her cheeks red. "I'm sure you understand what I mean – he's Okina."

She almost laughed and nodded. They waited until the old man had reached the stairs, then Aoshi let go of her with an apologetic look.

Trying to be nonchalant about the shrinking distance between them, Misao waved her hands almost tripping as she moved back slightly. "Ha-ha – I wonder when Okon and Omasu are coming back…" she groaned. "I will give them _such_ an ass-kicking when they come back…" she shook her head. "What did they want you to get, anyway, Aoshi-sama?"

"I do not know." He said. "Something on a high shelf they could not reach."

Misao nodded. "Inexcusable." She growled. They lapsed into silence again and Misao wondered what Aoshi was thinking. His face was blank, but the fact that he had kept her from getting Okina to let them out in case he got the wrong idea meant that he did not want people thinking that he and Misao were making out in a closet. But then again… Could the fact that he had thought of that mean he had entertained the possibility of-?! Oh _goodness_.

She slapped her cheeks again to keep herself from thinking any more.

"May I ask…" Aoshi said quietly. "Why do you hit yourself in the face from time to time?" there was amusement in his eyes.

"It's nothing weird!" Misao's cheeks reddened even further. "It's- It's not what you think! I'm just… Trying to, uh- what's the word…" she desperately searched for an excuse. "…Keep myself sane?" she trued with an innocent smile.

"…Ah." It seemed as if he did not understand, yet did not probe any further for which Misao was infinitely grateful.

A few minutes later when Okon and Omasu came back claiming that, 'oh goodness – that key was hard to find!' – Misao leapt out of the closet with vengeance on her mind and Aoshi fixed the two women with a look that would've sent anyone sane scampering.

" _Spinning bird kick of rage_!" Misao's screech sounded down the hallway.

"Now, now Misao-chan! Calm down!"

"Misao-cha-an! Come on!"

"You should be thanking us!"

" _Kansatu tobi-kuna-ai_!"


	8. Chapter 8

_"_ _A-Aoshi-sama…!" she exclaimed breathlessly as he leaned closer, his hot breath on her as he leaned down, not meeting her eyes. "W-what-?" the heat in her cheeks rose as he looked up at her._

 _"_ _Misao." He said, his eyes gentle and his voice low. "I love you."_

 _"_ _I've waited for so long to hear those words!" Misao sighed – and their lips met._

 _The kiss was long and gentle, drawn out and sweet, full of longing and happiness. Aoshi's arms tightened around her and they broke apart for air. He began to untie her obi, pulling the top of her shinobi uniform away from her heated skin and she pulled the front of his top open, exposing his_ _delicious_ _muscular, scarred chest. They kissed again, and his tongue and hands on her body-_

"Misao?" A knock.

"Ah… Mm… D'n't tease me like that Aoshi-sama…! …Five more minutes… 'S a good dream dammit… Lemme sleep…" she groaned, her eyes opening to bright morning sunlight streaming through the shoji. It seemed rather late… It couldn't be… All thoughts of her dream had flown somewhere far away to the back of her mind. How long had she slept in for?!

Oh _shit_.

She shot up out of the warm embrace of her futon and threw the door to her room open, not even bothering to adjust her rumpled and probably hella indecent-looking sleep yukata. "What time is it?!" she screeched at a slightly taken aback Aoshi who stood outside her room, about to knock again.

"Half past eight." He answered.

"Ah _damn_! I was gonna train and-" she sighed clutching at her head and berating herself. "Oh – I am _hopeless_! How come I slept in like this…!? Ah honestly-"

"Sleeping in, once in a while is not a bad thing." Aoshi said. "…It was the others who told me to wake you up – for you were thrashing and getting increasingly more… Verbal."

…Wait, what?

Oh _shit_.

"A-a- I-I N-no I-it's…-" Misao's face was so hot and red, it could've gone up in flames. He had _not._ They _heard_?! Oh _god_ no. She needed to fake her death and move to America – quick. "I-i-it's n-not what you think, Aoshi-sama!" she groaned, helplessly stuttering and covering her face with her trembling hands. "I-I just was… Having a nightmare!"

"Ah." He said, his face blank. "…May I ask what about?" his voice was even and emotionless, yet Misao seemed to see a slight spark of amusement in his icy blue eyes.

" _No_! _Nothing_!" she yelped, jumping. Then she began to wake her hands. "O-oh, I-I mean, yeah – sure! It- It was about… Uh, a huge… Huge… Lizard! It was uh… Attacking Tokyo! Knocking over buildings and stuff! And uh… Breathing fire. And stuff…" she trailed off, looking carefully up at him. Was Aoshi buying it? She hoped to hell he was.

"Is that so." He said with a nod, his tone perfectly blank. "…I asked because you called for me. …Among other things."

Those words made Misao blush even more if possible. Steam seemed to come off the top of her head and her mouth shook. The embarrassment was overpowering. She wasn't sure if she saw the amused glint in his eyes, but she clamped her hands over her hot face again. " _I want to die._ " She whispered. Louder, she opted to go for the innocent response. "O-oh, did I? Ha-ha, well – I don't remember that!" She jumped back into her room and shut the door. "I'll be down for breakfast!" she yelled.

She saw his shape through the paper of her door nod slightly and stay for a few extra moments only to say – "…You seemed rather upset to be woken from that nightmare, Misao." Still that infuriatingly blank tone.

" _I-it's not what you think, Aoshi-sama-a_!" Misao's scream was heard throughout the Aoiya.


	9. Chapter 9

"He's into you, Aoshi-sama is." Stated Okon firmly, setting her newly empty cup (that used to have sake in it) down on the table with a definitive _clank_. "Any _miniscule_ doubt I might've had beforehand…" she drew a thumb across her neck. "Dead. Gone. No doubt."

"While I would not phrase it quite as crudely as Okon…" Omasu gave the other woman a long look, taking a demure sip of her sake. "I have to agree. You see, Misao-chan – we had happened to be nearby…"

"During that, er, _exchange_ you two had this morning…" Okon winked, pouring herself more and downing it immediately.

"…And that proved to be hard evidence." Omasu finished, taking another sip.

Misao sighed tiredly. "So basically – let me get this straight." She said. "You sent Aoshi-sama up to wake me up when I was having a, uh, _dream_ – and then eavesdropped on-"

"Oh come _on_ , Misao-chan!" Okon protested.

"That's a _bit_ harsh, isn't it?" Omasu looked at her gently.

"We've confirmed something you've always wished for!" Okon exclaimed, downing more sake, spreading her arms.

"…And locked you two in a narrow closet for ten minutes!" Omasu said this as if she had saved someone's life – a thing to be marvelously proud of and thankful for. She smiled as she sipped more sake.

"Who _knows_ what you two got up to in there!" Okon wiggled her eyebrows in a rather unladylike way.

"…After all that, we're still helping you!" Sighed Omasu in a long-suffering way.

"Yes – look at us! Two beautiful angels of love, or no – _ninja cupids_!" Okon said making a fist and raising it with a glint in her eye.

"…That kind of an image is mildly disturbing, no, Okon?" Omasu turned to the other woman with a slightly disgusted look.

"Really? Then we're like…" Okon trailed off.

"Instigators." Omasu supplied, pouring the other woman a drink. "Is that the word you're looking for?"

Okon nodded proudly, smiling at Omasu. "That's right. We instigate love between energetic kunoichi and stoic okashira."

Omasu laughed behind her sleeve, patting Okon on the shoulder. "We are really good at this, aren't we?"

"Oh yes, Omasu – _so_ good!" They raised their cups.

The two women tittered at each other until Misao clapped her hands loudly standing up to get their attention. "Look, you said you'd help me." She said in a wheedling way. "All you've been doing so far is getting me embarrassed in front of Aoshi-sama. Didn't you say something about _training_?"

Okon made a sound through her teeth. "Aw, just rip off your clothes and jump him." She said, motioning with the quickly emptying sake bottle. "It'll work. He's probably going to be down with that." She lay back against Omasu's shoulder and the latter wrapped an arm around her.

"Maybe take your clothes off _slowly_ – then jump him." Said Omasu thoughtfully, patting Misao's knee comfortingly while stroking Omasu's hair. "…Or you could ask him to help you with some... Seduction techniques. Or somehow beat him in a sparring session and 'accidentally'-" she cut herself as she saw Misao. "Are you _writing_ this down, Misao-chan? There's no need-"

Misao looked briefly up from the sheet of paper she was scrawling on and nodded. "…Yup – keep talking, Omasu-san!"


End file.
